Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-20
MURIETTA IS REASURE.
More about the Hidden Gold In
Ventura County.

V0AAthxss SOMsASys
Our readers will remember that about
two weeks ago we published an account
concerning a sum of money supposed to
have been buried in this county by Joa-
quin Murietta, good many years ago.
Since writing the account we have
meta person who was passing through
Ventura in search of the wealth, and
who claims to be the son of the man
Murietta murdered and stole the money
from. At his request We omit his nam G
and give the substance of his story,
which is as follows:
81 was born in Australia, in lS49, my
parents being English. While l was
quite young my mother died and my
father came to California. He had in
his possession about $4,000 worth of
diamonds which he carried in buck.
skin bag. One day after our arrival he
unwittingly made known the fact that
he had the diamonds on his person, and
Joaquin Murietta hearing of it muir.
dered him in Santa Clara county. This
was in 1853 when was but 4 years Of
age. Murietta gave me in charge of a
Spanish woman-a relative of his-and
converting a part of the diamonds into
gold, buried nearly all of it in one spot.
One day before going on some raid
saw him give this woman map OF the
place where the treasure was buried. l
afterwards stole the map and ran away,
After staying several years in this place.
/ wandered down into Mexico finally.
There l met Mendoza, one Of Murietta' 3
gang, face to face ON two different oc-
casions, but as l was q growing youth
he did not recognize me, althoug
knew him. was satisfied he was look.
ing for me and left that section of the
country each time l saw him. sup
posed he was after the map describing
where the treasure was hidden, and
feared he would murder me to obtain it..
He shot man in that country and was
sentenced to a long term in the peni-
tentiary, and I then felt myself safe. A
few months ago an old Mexican in
formed me that Mendoza was killed in
1884, and that before his death he had
written him letter and told him If he
ever saw me again to inform me he was
searching for me to tell me where |
would find the money, and that he was
not looking for me for any evil purpose.
As soon as possible started for this
part of the country, but in New Mexico
/ was robbed by five tramps of nearly
everything I had, including $240 in
cash, a $50 ring, gold watch and other
valuables. Since then have met with
bad luck, and am now in almost destl.
tute circumstances, but am working my.
self along doing odd jobs to get enough
money to take me to where q Spanish
woman lives-north of here-the only
person who really knows where the
money is now buried. She is daughter
of the woman Murietta placed in charge
of me. The Spaniard now in the peni.
tentiary do not think told me the truth
when he said Mendoza told him where
the money was buried. The directions
he gave are very different from the map
Of directions in my possession. though l
think the money is buried near here. l
saw think so. do not know, for the
directions have are of no use to me, as
the money was removed by Mendoza
and put in another place, according 10
his letter written to the Mexican.
feel assured that I will get possession Of
the money rightfully belonging to me.
There is about $50, 900 in all, Murietta
having used some of 1t. But his con
science troubled him and that was the
reason he told Mendoza to find me.
would have come back here long ago
but until lately did not know the mem
bers of the gang were all dead, and
was afraid they would find and kill me.
After questioning and cross-question
ing the narrator at different times durini